Escaping British prisoners of war hide out in German-occupied France.Escaping British prisoners of war hide out in German-occupied France.Escaping British prisoners of war hide out in German-occupied France.
Marcello Pagliero
- Salvatore
- (as Marcel Pagliero)
Peter Augustine
- Priest
- (uncredited)
Heather Bennett
- Minor Role
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe character and murderous career of Dr. Martout was based on fact. The real doctor, very much as depicted in the film, was a Dr. Petiot, who was tried and convicted of 26 murders, but suspected of over 100. He was executed by guillotine.
- GoofsDespite being set in France circa 1942, all of Anna Gaylor's costumes and hair styles are strictly 1957.
- SoundtracksI Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside
(uncredited)
Written by John Glover Kind
Sung by Kathleen Harrison (as Mme Abou)
Featured review
The time is 1943 and the scenario the Vieux Port of Marseille. By this time France's Free Zone had been abolished and Nazi occupation had been extended to the whole country. The Vieux Port was a maze of labyrinthine streets and alleys where houses were connected to each other by subterranean passages, hidden openings in the walls and window/roof/window paths. This made the quarter an ideal scenario for the Resistance hiding fugitives, and the plot deals with two British airmen escaped from a POW camp looking for a way to rejoin their force. In 1943 the Nazi occupiers aided by the French police, dynamited much of the historic old town (the movie contains some documentary footage).
There is a subplot involving a character, Dr. Martout, who preys on Jews and other people that need to leave France urgently. Dr. Martout seems to be based on a real character, Dr. Marcel Petiot , a serial killer that operated in Paris during the war and has a movie devoted to his exploits, Docteur Petiot (1990) plus several documentaries. This movie's actual title is Seven Thunders, probably from St. John's Book of Revelation, which doesn't seem to relate to what we see on screen.
After a brilliant career in his native Argentina Hugo Fregonese became a no less successful director in Hollywood. His work began with One Way Street in 1950 and included some biggies such as Blowing Wild (1953), with Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck. He also directed in Europe (the UK in this movie). Fregonese was a solid studio director who could do justice to a good script like in this film, which stands above many other war movies.
There is a subplot involving a character, Dr. Martout, who preys on Jews and other people that need to leave France urgently. Dr. Martout seems to be based on a real character, Dr. Marcel Petiot , a serial killer that operated in Paris during the war and has a movie devoted to his exploits, Docteur Petiot (1990) plus several documentaries. This movie's actual title is Seven Thunders, probably from St. John's Book of Revelation, which doesn't seem to relate to what we see on screen.
After a brilliant career in his native Argentina Hugo Fregonese became a no less successful director in Hollywood. His work began with One Way Street in 1950 and included some biggies such as Blowing Wild (1953), with Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck. He also directed in Europe (the UK in this movie). Fregonese was a solid studio director who could do justice to a good script like in this film, which stands above many other war movies.
Details
- Runtime1 hour 10 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1(original ratio)
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Top Gap
By what name was The Beasts of Marseilles (1957) officially released in India in English?
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